


Lapidot One-Shots

by Sandfire_12



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-06 16:30:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13415190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandfire_12/pseuds/Sandfire_12
Summary: A series of one-shots about everyone's favourite dorito/water witch pairing. Enjoy!(Rating is for explicit language.)





	1. Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot finds herself acting weird around Lapis. She decides to blame it on creatures in her chest.

“Mmph.”

Lapis stirred in her sleep, rolling onto her side. Her fluffy blue hair fell in her face.

“Nyeh!” Peridot stiffened, afraid that Lapis had woken up. She stood, frozen, for a few moments before relaxing. The slim blue gem was still asleep, her face muscles lax. Peridot let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

She crouched down curiously by the hammock and stared intently at Lapis’ sleeping face. This was one of the few times Lapis seemed at peace. Most of the time she looked sad and alone, lost in her thoughts. Peridot often wondered what she thought about, but she knew better than to ask.

Some of Lapis’ hair was still in her face. Peridot tentatively reached out with a hand and brushed it away. For the briefest of moments, she felt her skin brush Lapis’, and a deeper shade of green touched her cheeks.

Suddenly Lapis blinked, awoken by Peridot’s slight touch. The short gem was caught unawares by Lapis’ deep blue gaze.

“Gah!” Peridot backed away, shoulders stiff with shock. Lapis blinked again, still half-asleep. In a panic, Peridot grabbed the closest thing to her and threw it at Lapis’ face before running out of the barn.

~

Lapis sat up tiredly and rubbed her eyes. A pair of alien shorts fell from her head into her lap. She held them in her hands for a moment, staring curiously at them, before turning to look at the barn entrance, where Peridot had disappeared. _How odd_. Lapis was not entirely sure what to make of the situation.

Deciding against returning to her slumber, Lapis stood up and stretched languidly. She thought for a moment about what to do. The barn provided a great variety of day-to-day activities. There was the television - Camp Pining Hearts was always worth rewatching; and there were plenty of materials scattered around to make meep morps with.

Lapis’ eyes roved across the barn. She gazed at all the meep morps she and Peridot had made together. And there were their instruments, in a haphazard pile in the corner.

As loud and talkative as the short green gem could be, things were always better in her company. Lapis took it upon herself to go find her. Spreading her wings, she flew out of the barn. 

~

Peridot was sitting by the smaller-than-average lake, distractedly plucking at the grass. Her eyebrows were knitted, her olive eyes a cacophony of emotions. _What am I doing lately? I should be able to leave Lazuli alone to sleep in peace! Is it creepy to watch her? What if it is? But she’s so nice to watch. She doesn’t look annoyed or upset when she’s asleep... Gah! I wish I had my tape recorder_. Peridot was so lost in her thoughts that she did not hear the gentle noise of water wings being retracted, or the soft shuffle of feet on the grass.

“Hey. Peridot.”

“Agh!” Peridot let out yet another noise of shock, spinning around abruptly to face Lapis. “Don’t scare me like that.” She paused. “Clod.”

Lapis snorted in the beginnings of a giggle. She quickly recomposed herself, averting her gaze and awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. “I was wondering if you wanted to... do something?”

“Like what?” Peridot asked, interested.

“What we normally do,” Lapis responded flatly. She did not elaborate. Peridot got the point nonetheless.

“Okay,” the shorter gem agreed. “How about we watch Camp Pining Hearts? I’ve been meaning to re-analyse Paulette’s actions around camp to see if I can find her _true_ motives.”

This time Lapis actually giggled. “You’re so uptight about Paulette,” she said. “Well come on, let’s go.” Without another word, she flew up to the truck sticking out of the barn wall and settled down to wait for Peridot.

Said gem climbed up a moment later and took a seat beside her barnmate. Lapis had already put on an episode. Peridot didn’t argue with her choice - it was a good one. 

Peridot found it more and more difficult to focus on the television. She was sitting so _close_ to Lapis, surrounded by brightly coloured pillows and blankets. Her skin crawled, her face hot. There was an odd feeling in her chest that reminded her of the small, flighty creatures Steven had showed her once. She could not quite recall their name... flutter-bys, perhaps?

Suddenly Lapis reached out slightly with a hand and rested it lightly on Peridot’s. Her slender fingers idly traced over Peridot’s knuckles.

Peridot’s face deepened in colour, and she felt perspiration bead on her forehead. What was it about Lapis that made her get this way? So nervous, so wound up... She hid her face behind her hand and tried not to make any indignant noises.

Lapis suddenly seemed to sense Peridot’s discomfort and moved her hand away. She shifted onto her side, her elbow pressing into a pillow. Peridot’s gaze shifted to side and instantly met Lapis’ - the blue gem was staring intently at her. Peridot gazed nervously at her, her olive eyes filled with uncertainty.

“You’ve been acting... kind of weird lately,” Lapis said softly.

Peridot inwardly winced. Lapis had noticed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Lapis didn’t sound pushy. She was simply offering; it felt right to do so, especially after Peridot had helped her with her own problems. She’d been willing to listen when Lapis wanted to share; and now it was Lapis’ turn to listen.

Peridot considered it for a second before shaking her head adamantly. “No.”

Lapis just shrugged and returned her gaze to the television.

~

The days progressed. Peridot found herself getting flustered more and more often. Lapis found herself curiously staring more than was probably acceptable. Neither knew what to do about their situation.

The flutter-bys in Peridot’s chest were coming around more frequently. They flapped around in her lungs, their delicate wings tickling her insides. Peridot wasn’t sure whether or not to be concerned. She later decided the flutter-bys were to blame for her issues. They were _controlling_ her! It was a logical explanation. They were drawing her to Lapis all the time. Peridot just couldn’t work out why there was always an image of the pretty blue gem in the back of her mind.

One cool, breezy morning, Peridot found herself outside in the grass. The sun had yet to come up, and the sky was a dull grey, tinged with the slightest shade of orange at its edge. Dew lined the grass, cool and wet underfoot.

“Cloddy flutter-bys,” she cursed. Fortunately they seemed to be asleep for the moment. “Making me act all _stupid_. Especially around Lazuli. _Why is it always around Lazuli_?” She kicked a pebble and then grimaced at the pain that shot up her foot. She huffed under her breath as a cool breeze blew past, ruffling her bristly hair.

Silence hung in the air. Peridot was alone with her thoughts; and there were many of them at that. She wondered if this was how Lapis often felt. Her mind was flooding with thoughts, so many that it was overwhelming and Peridot hardly knew what to begin with.

She didn’t have to choose. A cold hand landed upon her shoulder, its weight bringing her right back to the present. Her head snapped around, and she gazed up in shock at... Lapis. The whole swarm of flutter-bys suddenly woke up.

“W-What are _you_ doing here?” Peridot gasped, evidently surprised. Flustered, she batted Lapis’ hand away.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Lapis replied simply. She let her hand fall back to her side as she stood quietly beside Peridot.

“I see.” Peridot averted her gaze from Lapis’.

The blue gem was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. “What are you thinking about?”

Peridot turned her head slightly and stared suspiciously at Lapis through narrowed eyes. Lapis looked back calmly, her gaze innocent.

The short green gem heaved a sigh. She was there, Lapis was there - they might as well talk.

“Do you ever feel like there are... flutter-bys in your chest?”

A look of confusion crossed Lapis’ features. “What are - oh. You mean butterflies?”

Peridot’s face flushed. She cleared her throat. “Yes, those.”

Lapis stifled a laugh. “ _Flutter-bys_ ,” she chuckled, amused. Peridot bit the inside of her cheek.

After a moment, Lapis became serious again. “I think I get what you mean. Lately, I’ve been... yeah, it’s been weird. Like there’s a fluttery feeling in my chest.” She held her hand over her chest as she spoke. “It makes me feel really... light. And airy.”

“Yes, that!” Peridot gasped. “That’s what I have too!”

Lapis grew quiet, her gaze thoughtful.

“What do you think it means?” Peridot asked, eyes wide.

Lapis sat down heavily in the grass, paying no mind to the water that seeped onto her dress. “I really don’t know,” she responded.

Peridot took a seat beside her. They were in close proximity; their elbows brushed as the grass swished around their legs. Heat crept into Peridot’s cheeks. When she looked up, she noticed a darker, azure shade over Lapis’ features too.

“Well...”

Peridot jumped to attention when Lapis spoke.

“I think we should try and work it out together.” Lapis gazed at Peridot, her round eyes filled with warmth for once.

Peridot nodded earnestly. “I think we should too."


	2. Middle of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis chooses to come back to Earth, once and for all.  
> But not before battling her own inner demons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this one based around the song "Middle of the Night" by Amy Shark. I embedded a few of the lyrics, so see if you can pick those out ;) 
> 
> This one-shot is set between "Can't Go Back" and "Reunited", so spoiler warning if you haven't seen either of those episodes yet. 
> 
> Trigger warning for mentions of self-worth and such related emotions. It shouldn't be too bad, but I feel this warning is still necessary. Enjoy the story!
> 
> Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2VaIkTeLMs

The stars glittered ominously in the black, open expanse of space. Each one held a story, a warning; a chorus of small voices that shimmered and pressed out in pale spots of light, flickering in the darkness, their white glow softly brushing Lapis’ own light form. She could hear the voices in the back of her head, always there, sometimes indistinct murmurs and sometimes agonised screams. 

_You left too quickly. You should have given him a chance to explain, but you disappeared again. You ran away like you always do because you’re nothing more than a selfish coward._

She bit down, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She worked her jaws in agitation, trying to focus on something other than the soft, malevolent voices plaguing her mind. She hardly noticed the asteroid float past in the distance as she carried herself away on her liquid wings. Her thoughts drifted like a moth to a flame back to the place where they always seemed to be lately. 

Peridot’s playful grin entered Lapis’ subconscious, her green skin bright under the radiant Earth sun. It was a look Lapis found herself missing more and more often: when she had watched Peridot through the Moon Base, that brilliant grin always seemed to be replaced by a look of grieving blankness or grim determination. 

Peridot had lost her glow since Lapis left. 

Lapis felt the familiar arrowheads of guilt and longing lodge themselves deep in her chest, but she blinked away the hot sting at the back of her eyes and flew on. 

_You can go back, like Steven said. Take back what you said, and try and make things normal again. What if Peridot’s right and you can win?_

The tiny glimmer of hope was abruptly smothered when Lapis reminded herself of the imminent Diamond attack. Bile rose in her throat, and she felt ready to throw up on her body and her _stupid, worthless_ life. Why did Peridot care so much? She was better off with the Crystal Gems, training and spending time with them. Lapis had seen her, seen the resolve in her eyes; she had watched as Peridot launched metal can after metal can into the air with the ease of practice. 

Lapis shoved the image to the back of her mind. She forced herself to forget the reflection of the sun-stained purple, pink and orange sky in Peridot’s visor. She forced herself to forget the determined, adorable smile painting the green gem’s face as she walked right through her old roommate’s illusionary, invisible form. 

It was an expression Lapis wished she could share. That sweet, ever-faithful determination. 

Lapis felt so lacking. 

Her eyes blurred over and Lapis realised she had to land. Through a haze of tears, she navigated herself towards a planet in the near distance. She couldn’t care enough to work out where she was; she felt only empty, her body shuddering as she choked back sobs. She collapsed onto her knees on the dusty ground, stirring up clouds of red sand. 

Internally she bashed herself, bashed herself the way Jasper bashed the walls of the ship when she was mad. 

Only minutes - or perhaps it was hours - earlier, Lapis had confided in Steven that by escaping into the endless abyss of space, she had essentially put herself back in the mirror that haunted her dreams. Now she felt the familiar press of loneliness, heavy on her skin, burning in her backs of her eyes. 

“Fuck my life,” she spat, willing for anything to distract her from this awful emptiness. Anything at all, even if it was the wretched sound of her own broken voice. “ _Fuck my life_!” She screamed out into the darkness, her voice echoing hollowly in her ears. There was no response, save for the cold shimmer of the stars. She let out a strangled sob, the tears finally coming, liquid streaming from her tightly shut eyes. She pounded the ground weakly with a fist as water spattered onto the dry, red earth. 

She slumped to the ground, her body trembling as she cried, curling into herself. Dust scattered through her hair and all over her skin, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She drowned herself in the blackness behind her eyelids, but even there she couldn’t escape. All she could see was Peridot, excitedly tending to their crops or creating a new meep-morp. Peridot, practicing with endless passion after she discovered her metal powers. Peridot, learning to take photos on her tablet and taking many of Lapis silhouetted against the stars. 

All Peridot. 

“I want you back all the time,” Lapis whispered to the Peridot in her mind. Her voice broke on the final word and she sobbed again, salty tears trickling into her mouth. She whispered again, softer this time. “I think about you all night.” It was more of a mumble, a helpless attempt to distract herself with her own crumbling words. 

When she had finally cried herself dry, the only remnant of her stricken sobs the shadows of tear-tracks on her cheeks, she rolled over onto her back to stare listlessly up at the vast expanse of stars. Lapis hardly saw them; all she could see was the wounded look of disbelief on Peridot’s face as she watched Lapis disappear into the sunset, taking their home with her. 

~

She didn’t know how long it was until she blinked open her eyes. She had flown far after leaving the dusty red planet; the soft _splash_ as she beat her wings was the only sound she heard for several days. She wasn’t sure how much time, exactly, had passed; perhaps it had only been a day, or maybe a week. She had stopped to rest on one of the many moons surrounding a large planet and fallen asleep.

The fear and loneliness that had struck her like the fist of the Bismuth that had poofed her so many years ago had dissipated into a dull buzzing sensation under her skin. She felt numb, and dead; she might as well have been the shattered shards of a ruined gem floating pointlessly for all she cared. All she knew was to keep flying, on and on and on. 

So she stood, her body heavy and her mind thick with sleep. Heaving a quiet, withdrawn sigh, she spread her wings from her gemstone, their liquid form shimmering with starlight. She took to the skies again, falling back into the rhythm of the steady beats of her wings. She drifted past millions and millions of stars but barely took any notice. They were all the same to her, their icy light offering no guidance. 

She almost didn’t realise when something different soared past through her peripheral vision. There were two of them: brightly coloured objects floating so distantly she could have mistaken them for fluorescent asteroids. She halted, abruptly whirling around when she realised what they were. 

_Ships._

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. 

_Homeworld ships._

She had been right all along. The Diamonds had been planning to attack, and there they were, on a path straight for the blue-and-green planet that blossomed with life. 

Lapis knew she should feel glad. Glad that she’d gotten away - just in the nick of time, it seemed - and glad that she was safe.

But instead, something sickening twisted deep within her gut. It was like a stone had been thrown into her core, weighing her belly down with a heavy sense of foreboding. Worry wrenched at her chest, and her heart was thudding; she felt a shiver run up her spine, and subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself in quiet self-comfort. 

She remembered what had driven her to leave Earth the first time. The fear that had rooted itself within her: the fear that she was going to relive her awful past. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in another war. 

Yet now there was just an aching emptiness. She had unwittingly thrown herself back into the mirror: a dark, vast, empty expanse. A place filled with loneliness, echoing with her own terrible thoughts. 

There was that aching emptiness - and a small sprout of fear. But, with a jolt of surprise, Lapis realised that this fear was not for her own safety: it was for Steven’s, and for Peridot’s. 

Her chest throbbed at the thought of the excitable green gem. _She’s so impulsive. She’ll throw herself right into danger_. 

Lapis felt her heart pound, a tense worry building up like a colossal wave. 

_They’ll destroy her._

She barely thought before beating her wings so hard water showered her ankles. She soared through the still, black air, her mind racing as quickly as her heart. 

_What are you doing_? The voices in her head screamed, their shrill voices deafening. _You’ll get yourself shattered!_

But, louder than the voices she’d come to loathe, came one that was gentle and assured. 

_I think we can win. I think you can win!_

The warm familiarity of the nasally voice made Lapis beat her wings ever harder. She felt determination well up deep within her as she pictured Peridot’s button nose and her long, thin face. The voices in her head howled louder the closer she got to Earth, their cries smashing through Lapis’ skull. But she blocked them out, choosing instead to focus on Peridot’s tender smile as she held her hand out to Lapis. 

_I’m coming, Peridot. I’m coming back. I won’t stay away. I’ll fight, just like you said. For the life we made on Earth_.


	3. Farm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot decides to change up the bleak Earth landscape a little, and enlists Lapis' help in making her bright new idea a reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this a while ago (like February, maybe...?) and forgot about it, whoops. It doesn't really relate to the latest occurrences on the show, but I hope you guys'll like it nonetheless. :)

Peridot scuffed her foot in the soil, scattering it. Looking around, she took in the vast expanse of yellow-green grass. 

There was nothing but grass. Grass everywhere. 

Rolling hills, covered in grass. 

The barn, surrounded by grass. 

So much grass. 

The short gem ran her fingers despondently through her spiky blonde hair. What a bland view. Homeworld had always been a bustle of activity - gems of all shapes and sizes milling about, the brilliant lightstreams as gems warped through the galaxy…

As much as she knew she shouldn’t, Peridot kind of missed it. 

~

“What?”

Lapis’ normally deadpanned voice held a note of shock as she looked down at the shorter gem. 

“I said, we should try… changing the view,” Peridot replied as she attempted to explain her idea. “It’s too bland. We should try, you know, growing something.” 

Peridot’s stomach plummeted when Lapis wrinkled her nose. 

“Wait, like what… what Homeworld do? Growing gems?” The tall gem shook her head, her deep blue eyes narrowed. “I thought we moved on from all that, Peridot.”

“No, no, I didn’t mean growing gems!” Peridot exclaimed, frantically waving her arms. “And besides, even if we wanted to do that, we don’t have the resources. I would know. I’m a certified kindergartener.”

Lapis eyed her warily. 

The shorter gem inhaled deeply. “We should try growing _plants_. Earth stuff. Like… like that leaf Steven gave you.” 

Lapis visibly relaxed. “Oh.” She rubbed her arms self-consciously. “That could work.” 

Peridot felt a spark light up deep within. “F-Fantastic!” she stammered, suddenly flustered. “Do you want to start now?”

Lapis shrugged. “Do we have everything we need?”

The green gem faltered as she opened her mouth to respond. Her shoulders slumped. “No.” 

She brightened almost instantly, however, and promised Lapis she’d get it all ready before running out of the barn. 

~

“So we just put this in a hole in the dirt.”

“Yeah.”

“And wait.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Lapis picked up a small sunflower seed. “But that’s so… simple.” She turned the seed over in her fingers, curiously inspecting it.

“That’s what’s so nice about Earth, I think,” Peridot told her as she scraped dirt over a seed. “Things here are so straightforward.”

Lapis dropped her seed in another hole, offering a quiet “yeah” in response. 

~

With a quick _swish_ , Lapis’ water wings retracted into the sparkling blue gemstone on her back. She stood on the edge of the roof, watching in amusement as Peridot balanced precariously on a hovering garbage can lid. 

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Lapis called down to her barnmate. 

Peridot didn’t look up, her concentration entirely focused on the lid. “I’m sure,” she grunted in response. Lapis sat back and watched as Peridot stubbornly struggled with her newfound metal-controlling powers.

Eventually, Peridot scrambled onto the roof, her spiky hair a mess upon her head. She let the lid fall to the ground with a clatter. 

“Finally,” Lapis commented, snickering. 

Peridot smoothed down her hair, unfazed. “I’d like to see you lift yourself onto a roof with a garbage can lid, Lazuli.”

“But why would I do that?” Lapis asked innocently, using her powers to splash Peridot with some water from their smaller-than-average lake. The shorter gem glared at her indignantly, much to Lapis’ amusement, before settling down on the edge of the roof. 

Lapis took a seat beside her and they looked out upon the expanse of land surrounding the barn. It was now filled with colours, all tinted warm and orange by the setting sun. Sunflowers danced like pearls in the breeze. Pumpkins sat, round and full, on dense patches of leaves. The air was filled with the warm, earthy scent of home. 

“We did all this,” Peridot breathed, awestruck. 

Lapis just nodded, shifting her hand closer to Peridot’s as she sighed contentedly. 

A deep cyan blush crept into Peridot’s cheeks, and she rested her head on Lapis’ shoulder. The blue gem stiffened momentarily before relaxing into Peridot’s touch. 

She was so pleased that Peridot had suggested to grow things together. It, among other things, had brought them closer together and now - for the first time in a long time - Lapis felt truly at home.


	4. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis reforms, and upon finding Peridot, the two share a tearful reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this back in like October, but again, I forgot to post it. Whoops--  
> This one-shot is about how I envisioned Lapis and Peridot's reunion, after the events of "Reunited". Can't wait to see it when it happens ;w;

Bright azure light filled the darkened room. A deep blue teardrop-shaped stone lifted from its place in a fluffy blanket and hung in midair as radiant beams of light shot out of its smooth, gleaming surface. 

Slowly a figure formed around the stone. The light, so bright a blue it was almost white, extended into the shape of a tall, slender body. A dress billowed out around the figure’s hips, its hem flowing like ocean waves around her knees. 

“Lapis.” The newly-reformed gem could already hear the smile in Bismuth’s voice before she turned to look at her. “You’re back.” 

“Yeah,” Lapis agreed quietly, giving her new appearance a quick once-over before glancing at the blanket on the table, still indented with the shapes of two smooth gemstones. “Is Peridot back too?”

“She reformed a couple days ago,” Bismuth confirmed. “She should be down at the beach right now.” She wrinkled her nose and gestured at the wreckage that was the house they stood in: the walls were broken in, debris cluttering the floor, and the gleaming surface of Blue Diamond’s ship could still be seen through what used to be the roof. “We still have a lot to clean up. Shorty said she wanted to get started.” 

Lapis nodded wordlessly and turned to leave. Suddenly she stopped, her foot poised to take a step, and inclined her face back towards Bismuth. 

“Where are the others?” she asked guardedly, and Bismuth detected the concern she’d allowed to seep into her voice. 

“On Homeworld,” Bismuth replied. The slender blue gem visibly stiffened, her hands balling into fists at her sides. Bismuth offered her a relaxed smile, and added: “don’tcha worry, hun. They’re fine. Steven sorted things out with Blue and Yellow, and they’ve gone to speak with White Diamond about a potential cure for corruption.” 

Lapis blinked. “White… Diamond?” 

Bismuth nodded in affirmation. “Don’t worry about them. They’ll sort things out. Now, you go find Peridot.” She jerked her head towards the doorway, which was surprisingly - and thankfully - still intact. “She’s been waiting.”

Lapis dipped her head to the taller gem and silently departed, her dress swishing familiarly around her knees. It felt good to be back on Earth, with the glittering stars and the cool night air tickling her skin. She knew she’d made the right decision in coming back. She would face Blue and Yellow Diamond a hundred more times if it meant she could stay with Peridot. 

She found the shorter gem rummaging through the wreckage of the barn, salvaging whatever she could. Pumpkin ran in circles around Peridot’s ankles, yipping encouragingly. Lapis wandered closer, relishing the feeling of the sand on her bare feet. 

“Peridot,” she murmured, when she felt she was close enough. The short green figure started, whirling around to face Lapis with wide olive eyes. 

“Lapis,” she whispered, almost incredulously, and the blue gem felt shivers crawl along her skin at the tone of her voice. Peridot eyed her up and down appraisingly before averting her gaze again. “You look good.” 

Lapis couldn’t help the azure flush that heated her cheeks. “Thanks,” she mumbled, absentmindedly reaching up to toy with the star-shaped button adorning the ribbon at the back of her neck. “So do you.” 

Peridot cleared her throat awkwardly and dusted off her chest. “Uh. Thanks.” 

Lapis’ heart twisted. Peridot was still avoiding her eyes. 

She felt almost as if they were back at square one, when they had fought over who would get to live in the barn that now lay in shattered ruins in the sand. 

Except this time, it wasn’t Peridot who so desperately wanted the other gem’s attention, or approval. 

A few beats of silence hovered between them, in which Peridot shuffled her feet in the sand and Pumpkin whined. Lapis was the first to speak. 

“Peridot, look, I—” she swallowed the ever-growing lump in her throat and continued. “I’m sorry.” 

She didn’t have the words to justify what she’d done; the hurt she’d put them both through. For now, ‘sorry’ would have to be enough. 

Peridot finally looked up, meeting Lapis’ eyes from behind her visor. Lapis could see the reflection of starlight there, and her heart swelled. It was strikingly beautiful. 

“You _left_ me,” Peridot eventually said, her voice breaking. “You left. And you took everything.” She gestured to the demolished pieces of their former home, and the pile of mismatched items she’d been trying to salvage. “ _Why_?” 

Lapis’ throat closed up at the anguish in her voice, and she blinked away the tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again, clenched fists trembling at her sides. “I’m so, so sorry. I - I was terrified, Peridot. I…” she swallowed heavily. “I wasn’t thinking. I should have listened to you.” 

Peridot sniffed unhappily, eyes on the ground again. Lapis opened her mouth to say something - _anything_ more to comfort the shorter gem, but before she could utter a sound, Peridot was rushing forward and wrapping her arms around her. 

Shocked at the sudden contact, Lapis stiffened, but gradually relaxed and wrapped her arms gently around Peridot’s shoulders. She could feel the shorter gem’s chest heaving as she cried into her torso. Lapis felt her own eyes well with fresh tears and she held Peridot tighter. 

“I missed you so, so much,” Peridot sobbed, clutching Lapis as if her life depended on it. “Don’t ever leave me like that again.” 

The only words Lapis could think to say were still “I’m sorry”. She whispered them again into Peridot’s hair, dampened already by the tears streaking down her face. 

“Stop being sorry,” Peridot chided, pulling back so she could look up at the taller gem. “Although you should be.” 

Lapis smiled a watery smile, and Peridot hugged her again in response. “I’m glad you came back.” 

“Me too,” Lapis murmured, meaning it. “Me too.”


	5. Reformed (inspired by Dement09)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Peridot finally see each other again when they return from their gems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to write this by one of Dement09's posts on Instagram, so basically this very short piece is Dement's art... in words 
> 
> The original post is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs8MaSIHTgm/

Lapis could feel her form spreading from her gem, blinding blue-tinted light making the room look as though it was underwater. Distantly she could hear a voice as her form solidified; it was calling her name, it was getting louder, closer, thudding footsteps now accompanying it. 

Lapis whirled, for a moment unsettled by the new absence of the dress she’d donned for thousands of years, and laid eyes on a short green gem with tears sparkling in her olive eyes. 

“ _Lapis!_ ” Peridot shrieked, colliding with Lapis and wrapping her arms around her back in a tight hug. It took Lapis barely a moment to react before she was pulling the smaller gem closer, burying her face in Peridot’s shoulder. 

And suddenly they were spinning around, Lapis sweeping Peridot off her feet and into her arms. Peridot laughed giddily, her voice broken by tears, and Lapis felt her own eyes prickle as Peridot touched their noses together. She reached up with a hand to gently hold Peridot’s, which was pressed against her cheek, and suddenly the green gem was pulling their faces closer. 

The kiss was sweet and soft, and tasted of heartbreak yet of relief, of yearning and passion and joy. Lapis felt the dam break in her eyes, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she kissed Peridot, and Peridot kissed her lovingly back. 

“Lapis,” Peridot murmured as they pulled away, blinking open her eyes to peer gently into Lapis’. “I’m so glad you came back. Weren’t you…” she swallowed. “Weren’t you scared though?” 

Lapis chuckled softly, holding Peridot’s gaze. “Of course I was. But it was worse, being away… away from - from you, and from the home we made for ourselves.” She sighed. “I should never have left. You were right, Peridot… Earth is worth fighting for. I guess I just had to lose it to realise that.”


	6. You're Welcome, Lazuli.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Peridot have a late-night chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is back from August 2017 and I found it when I was clearing up my laptop, haha. Reading this again after so long reminds me of how far Lapis and Peridot have come since Steven put them in the barn together... I'm so proud of them ;w;

The stars of Homeworld glittered white and gold in the distant galaxies. Earth’s cool, clear atmosphere held a soft breeze, whisking past the moonlit grass of the fields.

A lone, dark figure could be seen, perched motionlessly on top of a tall silo. Her hair shifted as the breeze blew past her. Her hands, clasped tightly together over her knees, pulled her legs close to her chest. Silently the humanoid figure sat, her gaze focused on the distant galaxies.

Suddenly a stifled gasp carried across the night air and the figure tensed, her slim shoulders stiffening. She tore her gaze from the sky and looked around, her deep blue eyes wide. 

Two hands suddenly curled over the silo roof, scrabbling for an impossible hold on the smooth surface. The figure remained in her seated position, watching the second pair of hands with a deep intensity. 

A clank resounded through the silo before a figure was thrown rather roughly onto the silo’s slick roof. A piece of metal hovered up after her before succumbing to the pull of gravity and falling with a loud bang onto the silo. The second figure stood up and proceeded to dust herself off, clearly shaken after her perilous journey up to the top of the silo. Her pale yellow hair was stark against the night, and the taller figure, still seated, watched as her new companion approached. 

“Lapis Lazuli,” the shorter figure greeted formally, before she realised she was beginning to slide off of the silo and hastily regained her balance. 

The slim female’s hands released themselves from around her knees and she snickered, one hand moving up to her mouth as a dark azure hue found its way onto her face. “Peridot,” she said, returning the greeting. 

Peridot cleared her throat, clearly flustered after she had so ungracefully presented herself in front of her compatriot. “What are you doing up here?” 

Lapis shrugged, the ribbon around her neck moving with her shoulders as the light smile faded from her features. “I just… needed to think.”

“Oh.” Peridot halfheartedly drummed her fingers along the metal. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

A small smile forced itself onto Lapis’ lips before she turned away and it disappeared again. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” 

“Are you thinking of Homeworld again?” Peridot asked, evidently trying to start a conversation. Her eyes travelled to Lapis’ face. The blue gem’s eyes were dark, the corners of her mouth pulled down slightly. It took her more than a moment to reply. 

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think those clods deserve _our_ attention,” Peridot insisted. “I mean, Earth stinks, but it’s better than lousy old Homeworld. At least here we get to be free.” 

“I - I guess you’re right.” Lapis nodded slightly, her hands clasping together once again around her long legs as she dropped her head to rest it in her lap. 

Peridot scratched the back of her neck, seeming almost awkward. She bit her lip, thinking about how she should properly respond to the blue gem beside her. “You know,” she said finally, “I… about what I did, back… back a while ago, I… I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” 

Lapis stiffened, her fingers tightening their grip on each other. “That… that was a while ago.” She struggled to keep a tremor from her voice; she didn’t need this. She didn’t need these memories to come back again. 

Having realised her mistake, Peridot reached over to Lapis with a hand, and rested it comfortingly on the blue gem’s forearm. Lapis’ muscles tensed, but she didn’t wave Peridot away, instead letting the small green hand rest on her skin. 

“I just wanted to say sorry, Lapis,” Peridot mumbled, haphazardly trying to explain why in the name of Yellow Diamond she’d brought up Lapis’ past. “I shouldn’t have used you like I did.” 

“It’s fine, really,” Lapis insisted, but the falter in her voice suggested otherwise. She turned her head slightly so she could look Peridot in the eyes, and found a pair of wide olive eyes staring back at her from behind the tinted visor. “Besides, I wasn’t exactly… nice to you, either.” 

“It’s water under the bridge,” Peridot assured her with a small but genuine smile. “Besides, I don’t blame you. What Jasper and I did to you was just… unfair.” 

“It wasn’t really _your_ fault though,” Lapis mumbled without thinking, as she turned her head away again to rest it back on her lap.

Peridot suddenly jumped to her feet in a moment of shocking realisation. “Lazuli, you’re absolutely right!” 

“What?” Lapis turned her entire upper body to face her barnmate, removing her hands from her legs once again in the process. 

Peridot’s eyes were gleaming under the starlight. “You know whose fault it is, Lapis? It’s _Yellow Diamond’s_! That whole stupid mission was all because of that clod!” 

Lapis laughed genuinely, snorting a little as she did so. This resulted in a deeper shade of blue permeating her cheeks, and she looked away to save Peridot from seeing her face. 

Peridot grinned smugly before taking a seat beside Lapis. With a jolt Lapis realised that Peridot had purposefully taken a seat _right beside her_ ; she could almost feel the green gem’s skin brushing her arm. She turned, wide-eyed, to see Peridot gazing brightly up at her, a bright smile on her face and her eyes glowing behind her visor with the reflection of a thousand stars. 

Peridot’s hand slowly found the edge of her compatriot’s dress, and Lapis watched in intrigued silence as Peridot fiddled with it for a moment, scrunching the deep blue fabric between a finger and a thumb. Finally, the short gem spoke again, and her voice was filled with such sincerity that Lapis couldn’t help but turn an even deeper shade of blue. “I’m glad we’re here together, Lapis.”

“Me too,” Lapis agreed honestly. Shifting slightly, she turned her torso towards Peridot, and with one quick movement had her wrapped in a tight embrace. “Thank you, Peridot.” 

For a moment Peridot was too stunned to speak. Then she wrapped her arms around Lapis’ back, holding her close. She could feel the gem’s shoulders, finally relaxed, beneath her fingertips. “Y-You’re welcome, Lazuli.”


End file.
